Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1887-09-10
CIVIL SERVICE.
Report of Commission on Collector
Seeberger's Case.
commissioners Oberly and Lyman Dissent
From MIR. Edgerton's Report and
Claim Reasons should he Given
for DismiSsals.

| civil service commission on the Chicago
custom house investigation has been handed
| to President Cleveland and was made pub-
| lie yesterday. The opinion is signed by
| Commissioners Obery and Lyman, and
with it is inclosed the antagonistic reports
TO the commission OF Messrs, Edgerton and
| Lyman, who conducted the investigation at
! Chicago. These reports show wide differ.
| ence Of opinion between Commissioners
| Oberly and Lyman on the one side and
| Commissioner Edgerton on tho other. re.
specting the right OF discharged govern.
| ment employe TO know the reasons for his
| dismissal and the usefulness Of civil service
| reform leagues and associations.
The investigation in this case was brought
about in this way: Collector Seeberger of
| Chicago, about the middle of last January,
| demanded the resignation of George A.
Webster, a clerk in the appraisers Office.
Webster resigned under protest and com,
| planned that his resignation was forced for
political reasons. The Civil Service Re
| form League, of Chicago, believing that
Webster's removal was unjustifable, and
the aim and purpose OF the civil service
legislation had in This case been thWarted,
brought ii to the attention of President
Cleveland, who ordered the investigations
Commissioners Edgerton and Lyman con-
Quoted the investigation at Chicago, and
not agreeing as TO a verdict, either for or
against Collector Seebcrgcr, afterwards
prepared separate and antagOniStic reports
Commissioner EdgertOn, in his report, de.
clared that he was opposed TO the inyesti
CATION from the start, because the charges
which had been made were not Of that sub
stantial and definite character which could
give TO the commission any legal right TO
act upon the complaint, or impose upon it
any duty Of investigation under the civil
service act and rples; and insisted that
with Collector Scebcrgcr's denial which
the commission had in hand, the rcqaest
for Webstel's resignation was prompted by
political reasons, there was nothing left for
the commission to do He also insisted
that it was never violation Of the civil
service law TO turn a man out OF Office, and
that to question or deny the right Of re-
| moval without assigning reasons is vir-
tually saying to the appointing power: 81
know you have the constitutional right 10
dspace me, but you shall not exercise il,
prcscribG.n
Commissioner Lyman, in his statement OF
| the case reached the conclusion that Web
ster's separation from the service was
forced-practcally a dismissa-and that
the real reasons therefor were not dis
closed; that Webster, as o faithful and
eiilcient clerk and honorGbly discharged
wounded Union soldier, was not given the
benefit Of the law which favors the rcten-
tion of such persons in Office.
Commissioners OberlY and Lyman, ihthe
"opnion of the commission triucSe the
"evident attempt OF Commissioner Edgef-
ton to justify Collector SecDerger IN his re-
fusal TO permit the reasons he had Tor de-
| handing Wcbster's removal to escape from
'bis own mind and Keeping and the posi-
zion taken by Commissioner Edgcrlon that
requiring the reasons for dismissal would
result in the restriction OF the power OF re-
moval, is pronounced untenable The prac'
tice now in vogue in the Treasury Depart
mcnt, and in the Chicago postonice' ol CIV
ing reasons for removals, is cl'ed IN opposi'
ton TO this view. They maintain that
there is no reason why reasons should not
be given for removals, as the appointing OF.
Acer neither owns the Office occupied by
himself nor the Offices occupied by the per-
sons under his supervision. "lie IS not
they say, "the employer Of his subordi-
mates, He is not master, He IS serv-
ant, servant of the pCoric, and certainly
no good reason can be gwen why he, in
serving the people, should be permitted to
hold in his own mind and keeping his rca'
sons for doing or refusing toGct in the per-
formancc or non-performance Of which the
people have an interest, His superiors in
office who are responsible for his official
conduct, have a right to be informed, in an
official way. why he does any official act.
He can no longer appoint persons to places
in the classified civil service for his own
purpose, or for the purpose of paying out
Of The treasury for work done or to be
done in the interest of his party friends.
Ac,;,g n,dor tho civil service law and
rIos ho savs in cfrcrt whenever he now
r,o,,os ON onnnin, mont from n certihcation
nt a,t;nio n,ot,o him bv thc commission,
~ onpoint p'tt ,bis , ncrson because bis witness
-, "lpo'i' sn,o "nS no bos bocn found to
,'"' ,,ia, 80 80 s.. .ho o,,Ilic sor,,ice, WHY
W. sSi, gIs'n,0u W. oisn ha roonired to saw when
nVr Sn ais,,,s.ao - norsor ! dismiss this per-
so,, haaa,'.o ba ;s iroo,ciopt Of for some
sVn s,h uee""'. ,",, nood 81. had. and an arpoint
o,ne, so"aom' ,o oarno, givc GOOD reason
Co.. Co.. go, Iismissnl madp bv him ought
bi,.soIf i, dismisscd Amounting officers,